Aircraft window case that can be artificially illuminated in an indirect manner

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an aircraft window case ( 10 ) that can be artificially illuminated in an indirect manner, comprising a connecting cone ( 20 ) for connection of the aircraft window case ( 10 ) to the inner face of an aircraft window ( 22 ), a panel ( 12 ) closing off the window case ( 10 ) from the aircraft interior, a hollow-cylindrical transition element ( 18 ) made of translucent material for spanning a distance between the connecting cone ( 20 ) and the panel ( 12 ), and an illumination device ( 24 ) which radiates light on to the outer face of the transition element ( 18 ).

The invention relates to an aircraft window case that can beartificially illuminated in an indirect manner.

In commercial aircraft, efforts are now being made to offer passengers,in particular business-class and first-class passengers, more and morecomfort. This includes fitting out the interior of the aircraft in anindividual manner which not only takes account of all kinds of practicalconsiderations but is intended to ensure that a passenger experienceswell-being.

It is the object of the invention to increase the degree of well-beingof a passenger on board a commercial aircraft, in particular atnighttime.

For this purpose the invention proposes an aircraft window case that canbe artificially illuminated in an indirect manner, comprising aconnecting cone for connection to the inner face of an aircraft window,a panel which closes the window case off from the interior of theaircraft, a hollow-cylindrical transition element made of a translucentmaterial for spanning a distance between the connecting cone and thepanel, and an illuminating device which radiates light on to the outerface of the transition element. In this way there is provided a devicewhich provides an aircraft passenger with light from the window evenwhen darkness prevails outside. Because of the hollow-cylindricaltransition element of translucent material which is back-lit by means ofthe illumination device, the light-emitting area is relatively large andthe light is dazzle-free. In addition, the back-lit hollow-cylindricaltransition element creates an impression of spatial depth whichcontributes to a subjectively enhanced feeling of space, in particularfor the aircraft passenger sitting next to the window. It isself-evident that the back-lighting can be switched on and off asdesired by the aircraft passenger.

The intensity of the back-lighting is preferably controllable by thepassenger, so that he can set, for example, an illumination brightnesssufficient for reading and, on the other hand, at rest times can selectan illumination which is not disturbing but merely somewhat brightensthe environment.

Every translucent material is in principle suitable for thehollow-cylindrical transition element. In addition, the translucentmaterial may also be transparent. Preferably, however, a material isused which scatters the light emitted by the illumination devicediffusely and does not give the passenger a view of the parts arrangedbehind the hollow-cylindrical transition element, for example, theillumination device itself.

According to a preferred embodiment, the illumination device may emitlight of different colours, and the light colour emitted by theillumination device is preferably selectable by the user. For example,it may be provided that the user can set the light colour to resembledaylight if he wishes to read in darkness, and that the light colourbecomes increasingly warm with decreasing intensity, which isexperienced as agreeable by many people as background lighting.Alternatively or additionally, it may also be provided that the user canselect the light colour in keeping with his current personal mood,independently of the intensity of the illumination itself; for example,with a more reddish, more bluish, more greenish or more yellowish hue.

According to a further development of the present invention, not onlythe hollow-cylindrical transition element but the panel closing off thewindow case from the aircraft interior is made of translucent material.In this way a still stronger impression is given that light is coming inthrough the window as during daytime. The quality of illumination forreading purposes is also improved, since areas of the window case facingdirectly towards the passenger now also radiate light.

In a preferred embodiment of the aircraft window case according to theinvention, satinised plastics acrylic glass is used as the translucentmaterial for the hollow-cylindrical transition element and/or the panel.This has the above-mentioned, desired properties and can be manufacturedwithout difficulty in any desired shape.

In an embodiment of the aircraft window case according to the inventionthe hollow-cylindrical transition element and the connecting cone forconnection to the window itself are connected together in one piece. Ifdesired, the connecting cone may also be made of translucent materialand back-lit, independently of whether it is connected together in onepiece with the hollow-cylindrical transition element or not.

In embodiments of the aircraft window case according to the invention inwhich the connecting cone and the hollow-cylindrical transition elementare not connected together in one piece, a physical or mechanical windowblackout device may be arranged between the connecting cone and thehollow-cylindrical transition element, for example, a window blind.

The window blackout device is preferably a so-called SPD (suspendedparticle device). It includes an active layer of needle-shaped dipoleswhich are embedded “floatingly” in an organic liquid or an organic gel.This layer is laminated in a planar manner with two electrodes or filledbetween two electrodes and can be manufactured in the form of a film.Such a device covers the free window opening and its transparency can beregulated by activation with electric current in such a way that everyintermediate state between a maximum transparency and completelight-blockage can be set. An aircraft passenger sitting next to thewindow can therefore attenuate strongly dazzling sunlight enteringthrough the window to the desired degree. In addition, the aircraftwindow case according to the invention even permits artificial light tobe mixed with the daylight entering through the window by is means ofits indirect artificial illumination facility, in order to set a desiredillumination independently of the incident, possibly dazzling daylight.This is especially advantageous if the artificial back-lighting of theaircraft window case according to the invention has a characterresembling daylight.

The illumination device of the aircraft window case according to theinvention preferably surrounds the transition element in an annularmanner. The attainment of uniform back-lighting at all points of thetransition element is thereby facilitated.

An illumination device which surrounds the hollow-cylindrical transitionelement in an annular manner can be realised in different ways. Forexample, a plurality of light sources may be arranged spaced apartaround the transition element. Alternatively, the light source may be anannular neon tube. According to yet another embodiment, the light from asingle light source may be conducted to different points around thetransition element by means of fibre-optical technology.

To change the colour of the light emitted by the illumination device,either a plurality of light sources may be provided, the emitted lightof which is mixed to the desired hue, or a light source is used, thecolour of which can be changed through activation.

All known light sources are suitable as light source(s) for theillumination device of the aircraft window case according to theinvention, for example, filament bulbs, halogen lamps, neon tubes andLEDs.

For a better understanding of the invention, a preferred embodiment ofan aircraft window case according to the invention is explained in moredetail below with reference to the single appended schematic FIGURE,which shows a three-dimensional view of the aircraft window case in anexploded representation.

The single FIGURE shows an exploded view of an aircraft window casedenoted generally by 10 which, viewed from the aircraft interior, beginswith a panel 12 closing off the window case 10 from the aircraftinterior, which panel 12 is integrated here in a side cladding 14 of aninterior trim (not shown in detail) of the aircraft. In the presentcase, the panel 12 has an approximately square window opening 16.

Adjoining the panel 12 is a hollow-cylindrical transition element 18which spans the gap between the panel 12 and a connecting cone 20 whichprovides a visually attractive transition to the actual, substantiallyoval window pane 22.

In the embodiment illustrated, the hollow-cylindrical transition element18, like the panel 12, is made of translucent, satinised acrylic glass.In this case the transition element 18 has an approximately squarecross-section with an inner opening which continues the window opening16 of the panel 12.

An annular illumination device 24 surrounds the transition element 18 onthe outside and selectively radiates light on to the outer face 26 ofthe transition element 18.

The entire inner face of the transition element 18 and, in theembodiment illustrated, also the outer face of the panel 12 facingtowards the aircraft passenger, are thereby uniformly illuminated. Theillumination device 24 may be, for example, a neon tube formed to thedesired shape; alternatively, however, a plurality of more or lesspunctual light sources distributed around the perimeter of thetransition element 18 may be used.

In the embodiment shown, a panel-shaped, so-called SPD (suspendedparticle device) 28 is arranged between the transition element 18 andthe connecting cone 20. The intensity of the light entering through thewindow pane 22 can thereby be influenced by setting the degree of lighttransmission of the SPD to the desired level.

The operation of an SPD was explained in principle in the introductorysection of the description, so that it need not be discussed again here.Alternatively, instead of the SPD 28, other physical or mechanicalblackout devices, for example a window blind, may be used.

Although the window opening 16 and the adjoining inner opening of thetransition element 18 are approximately square in the embodiment shown,it is self-evident that any other desired shape may be selected, forexample, round, oval, polygonal, etc., without thereby impairing theoperation of the aircraft window case 10.

In the FIGURE illustrating the embodiment used as an example, twoaircraft window cases 10 are shown side-by-side. It is self-evident thata plurality of aircraft window cases 10 may also be arrangedside-by-side, in which case the panel 12 may be so configured that ithas a plurality of window openings 16, or that only a single aircraftwindow case 10 may be present.

1. Aircraft window case (10) that can be artificially illuminated in anindirect manner, comprising a connecting cone (20) for connection to theinner face of an aircraft window (22), a panel (12) closing off thewindow case from the aircraft interior, a hollow-cylindrical transitionelement (18) made of translucent material for spanning a distancebetween the connecting cone (20) and the panel (12), and an illuminationdevice (24) which radiates light on to the outer face of the transitionelement (18).
 2. Aircraft window case according to claim 1,characterised in that the illumination device (24) surrounds thetransition element (18) in an annular manner.
 3. Aircraft window caseaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the illumination device (24)comprises a plurality of light sources.
 4. Aircraft window caseaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the illumination device (24)can emit light of different colours.
 5. Aircraft window case accordingto claim 4, characterised in that the light colour emitted by theillumination device (24) is selectable by the user.
 6. Aircraft windowcase according to claim 1, characterised in that the light sources(s) ofthe illumination device (24) are LEDs.
 7. Aircraft window case accordingto claim 1, characterised in that the illumination device (24) includesa neon tube, which is preferably annular.
 8. Aircraft window caseaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the panel (12) is also madeof translucent material.
 9. Aircraft window case according to claim 1,characterised in that the hollow-cylindrical transition element (18) andthe connecting cone (20) are connected together in one piece. 10.Aircraft window case according to claim 1, characterised in that amechanical or physical window blackout device is arranged between theconnecting cone (20) and the hollow-cylindrical transition element (18).11. Aircraft window case according to claim 1, characterized in that thewindow blackout device is an SPD (28).
 12. Aircraft window caseaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the translucent material ofthe hollow-cylindrical transition element (18) and/or of the panel (12)is satinised acrylic glass.